The faces behind the gifts: A look at the donors who will change ACU’s campus

Kay Onstead donated $10 million in honor of her late husband, Robert Onstead.

Kay Onstead

Residing in Houston, she and Robert Onstead never attended the university, but have had three children and three grandchildren attend ACU. Robert Onstead majored in sciences, but took an alternate route and became the co-founder of Randalls Food Market. Robert Onstead served as a member of the Board of Trustees for 26 years. His son, Charles Onstead, now serves on the board.

Kay and Robert Onstead previously provided funds to aid in the construction of the Teague Special Events Center, Hunter Welcome Center, Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center and scholarship and faculty endowments in the College of Biblical Studies and the College of Business Administration.

The Onstead Wing of the Onstead-Packer Bibilcal studies is named after Kay and Robert Onstead.

Kay’s $10 million gift is the sixth-largest in ACU history.

Kathy and David D. Halbert:

Kathy and David Halbert

Kathy and David D. Halbert, from Colleyville, donated their $15 million contribution for a new science building. With four generations coming through the university, the family’s roots run deep in ACU history.

The gift was given to ACU through the Caris Foundation, a non-profit private organization co-founded by the Halberts to help meet the needs of impoverished people.

David D. Halbert is the grandson of the late Dean and Thelma Walling, an influencial figures in ACU’s history, and donated the money in honor of Dean Walling.

Dean Walling was an ACU trustee and helped raise $33 million over 15 years through the Design for Development campaign in the 1960s and ’70s. Those funds went toward the construction of buildings that make today’s campus, with buildings such as Moody Coliseum, Gibson Center, McGlothlin Campus Center, Brown Library, Don H. Morris Center and the Walling Lecture Hall.

The Halbert’s gift is the third largest in ACU’s history.

April and Mark Anthony:

April and Mark Anthony

April and Mark Anthony, from Dallas, gave $15 million for the construction of a new football stadium, $7 million to the College of Business and Administration, $5 million for the science building and $3 million in undesignated funds.

The Anthonys both attended ACU and were students in the College of Business and Administration. During his time at the university, Mark Anthony played golf as a student-athlete.

April Anthony serves on the Board of Trustees.

They currently have one daughter attending the university.

The family is a long-time friend of the Onsteads gave tribute to Robert Onstead through their gift toward the construction of the science building.